Great Balsam Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Great Balsam Mountains, or Balsam Mountains, are in the mountain region
of western North Carolina
, United States
. The Great Balsams are a subrange of the Blue Ridge Mountains
, which in turn are a part of the Appalachian Mountains
. The most famous peak in the Great Balsam range is Cold Mountain
, which is the centerpiece of author Charles Frazier
's bestselling novel Cold Mountain
.
The Blue Ridge Parkway
runs along its length and at Richland Balsam (milepost 431), the Parkway is at its highest point (6053 feet).
(which resembles forest types found at northern latitudes) and the mixed deciduous forests of temperate America.
Western North Carolina
Western North Carolina is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains, thus it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It is sometimes included with upstate South Carolina as the "Western Carolinas", which is also counted as a single media market...
of western North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Great Balsams are a subrange of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
, which in turn are a part of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. The most famous peak in the Great Balsam range is Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain may refer to:* Cold Mountain , by Charles Frazier* Cold Mountain , a film adaptation of the novel by Charles Frazier** Cold Mountain , the soundtrack to the film...
, which is the centerpiece of author Charles Frazier
Charles Frazier
Charles Frazier is an award-winning American historical novelist.Frazier was born in Asheville, North Carolina, and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1973. He earned an M.A. from Appalachian State University in the mid-1970s, and received his Ph.D. in English from the University...
's bestselling novel Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain may refer to:* Cold Mountain , by Charles Frazier* Cold Mountain , a film adaptation of the novel by Charles Frazier** Cold Mountain , the soundtrack to the film...
.
The Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...
runs along its length and at Richland Balsam (milepost 431), the Parkway is at its highest point (6053 feet).
Peaks
- Richland BalsamRichland BalsamRichland Balsam is a mountain in the Great Balsam Mountains in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Rising to an elevation of , it is the highest mountain in the Great Balsam range and is among the 20 highest summits in the Appalachian range. The Blue Ridge Parkway reaches an elevation of —...
- 6410 feet - Black Balsam KnobBlack Balsam KnobBlack Balsam Knob, also known as Black Balsam Bald, is in the Pisgah National Forest southwest of Asheville, NC near milepost 420 on the Blue Ridge Parkway....
- 6214 feet - Mount Hardy - 6120 feet
- Reinhart Knob - 6080 feet
- Grassy Cove Top - 6040 feet
- Tennent Mountain - 6040 feet
- Sam Knob - 6040 feet
- Cold Mountain - 6030 feet
- Shining RockShining RockShining Rock is a mountain in western North Carolina. The mountain is one of the Great Balsam Mountains which are a part of the Blue Ridge Mountains within the Appalachian Mountains. It is the 38th tallest mountain in the eastern United States....
- 6040 feet - Chestnut Bald
Other Landmarks
- Balsam GapBalsam GapBalsam Gap is a mountain pass between the Plott Balsam Range to the northwest and the Great Balsam Mountains to the southeast on the county line dividing Haywood and Jackson counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina....
- Devil's CourthouseDevil's CourthouseDevil's Courthouse refers to two locations:* A great overhang of Whiteside Mountain in Jackson County, NC* A mountain in Transylvania County, NCThis article concerns the mountain in Transylvania County, NC....
- Judaculla Rock (see Tsul 'KaluTsul 'KaluTsul 'Kalu , is a legendary figure in Cherokee mythology who plays the role of "the great lord of the game", and as such is frequently invoked in hunting rites and rituals...
; photos) - Tanasee BaldTanasee BaldTanasee Bald, also called Tennessee Bald, is a mountain near the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina, on the Haywood/Transylvania border. It is 5561 feet high...
(see Tsul 'KaluTsul 'KaluTsul 'Kalu , is a legendary figure in Cherokee mythology who plays the role of "the great lord of the game", and as such is frequently invoked in hunting rites and rituals...
)
Flora
The area consists of a transition forest between the Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forestSouthern Appalachian spruce-fir forest
The Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest is a type of montane coniferous forest that grows in the highest elevations in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States...
(which resembles forest types found at northern latitudes) and the mixed deciduous forests of temperate America.
Trees
The following trees are at higher elevations:- Fraser FirFraser FirAbies fraseri is a species of fir native to the mountains of the eastern United States. It is closely related to Abies balsamea , of which it has occasionally been treated as a subspecies or a variety Abies fraseri (Fraser fir) is a species of fir native to the mountains of the eastern United...
("Balsams" or "She balsams"). Forests of these trees appear black from a distance; however, these trees are declining due to the Balsam woolly adelgidBalsam woolly adelgidBalsam woolly adelgids are small wingless insects that infest and kill firs, especially Balsam Fir and Fraser Fir. They are an invasive species from Europe introduced to the United States around 1900....
. - Red spruceRed SprucePicea rubens is a species of spruce native to eastern North America, ranging from eastern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and from New England south in the Adirondack Mountains and Appalachians to western North Carolina.-Physical description:...
("He balsams"). The red spruce is distinguished from the Fraser Fir by having bark whose rosin cannot be milked (hence, "He balsams") and by having upright cones.
Shrubs
- Cartawba RhododendronRhododendron catawbienseRhododendron catawbiense is a species of Rhododendron native to the eastern United States, growing mainly in the Appalachian Mountains from Virginia south to northern Alabama....
- Flame azaleaRhododendron calendulaceumRhododendron calendulaceum , is a species of Rhododendron native to the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States, ranging from southern New York to northern Georgia....
- Mountain laurel